Marines Special Operations to Use Colt .45 Close Quarter Battle Pistols

Colt Defense LLC will manufacture more than 10,000 new .45 Close Quarter Battle Pistols for the Marine Corps’ elite special operations. This new contract for the 1911-style pistols will phase out the M45s currently used by the Corps.

As reported by Military.com, “The July 19 [2012] contract, which has a total value of $22.5 million, brings an end to the Corps’ exhaustive search for the top .45 caliber, 1911-style pistol to replace the fleet of worn-out Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, or MARSOC, M45 pistols.”

“We picked the best-performing pistol,” said Charles Clark III in the article. Clark oversees infantry weapons requirements at the Corps’ Combat Development and Integration office in Quantico, Va. “There were three candidates that made the final round of consideration.”

Clark did not discuss the competitors.

In addition to Colt, Springfield Armory’s Full Size MC Operator and Smith & Wesson’s 1911 design were also considered, according to Military.com.

The new Close Quarter Battle Pistols will be very similar to the M45s they are replacing this fall. They will have a rail for mounting lights, a custom trigger, a manual safety, improved ergonomics and glowing Tritium sights for low-light conditions.”